Milestones

[Raz Solus]

Raz was still shocked she was doing this. This was a step she had never taken with anyone else before. Though she felt nervous about it, there were no doubts in her mind. Leandros practically lived here anyway, and his clothes were neatly taking up space in one of the extra closets. Her place was more than large enough to accomodate them both, and they had decided to move in there.

The house was centrally located in Keldabe, offering more than enough space for them both to park their basilisks up front. Anyone passing by would know exactly who resided there. Today was the day he was officially moving in, and she had to make all the arrangements to help set up. To her surprise, they managed to have an easy time despite stark differences in diet. She had all her vegetables, and she had actually set him up with his own fridge to store meats and other foods she refused to eat.

Raz was more than surprised she was okay with someone moving in with her, but she couldn’t imagine it with anyone but him. She was adorned in her usual garb when not in armor - a tanktop and some loose fitting pants. Her hair was tied in a ponytail, and she was already tired from moving things around all day. She had to clear out a bunch of clutter like armor and parts from her bedroom so they could both use it.

“I can’t believe we’re doing this,” She muttered quietly, loud enough for him to hear. Her eyes were wide, “I’ve...never done this before. I’ve always been alone.”

 

[Leandros Solus]

Leandros really wished that he had labelled some of his boxes a little better. He walked into his new home carrying a big box with MISC STUFF drawn on all sides with a permanent marker and set it down with the others. Curiosity got the better of him and he lifted up the top, only to see a pile of ammo clips for blasters beneath several clusters of grenades. Oh. He set the top back down carefully and slid the box over in the corner with the rest of the arms boxes, reminding himself to label things better next time, or at least to put his belongings in the right boxes.

He attributed his packing mishap to his jitters. He’d never lived with someone before, let alone moved in with someone he felt the same way about like he did with Raz. She took his suggestion to move in seriously and by the time they eventually got back from her village-burning episode, they got to work figuring out just how they’d do that. The home she had was in a fantastic spot in Keldabe with plenty of room for their activities and, despite having never done this before, the two of them got along well when divvying up space. They had even bought a second fridge – one for Raz and one for Leandros – even though he was far more willing to compromise and eat her food more often than he ate his own. He wasn’t wholly vegetarian or vegan, but she was doing a damn fine job of making him more sympathetic about it.

Leandros wore a loose fitting, breezy shirt and similarly-made pair of pants while his armor sat on a stand in the house. The weather was beautiful today and he hoped it was a sign of good times ahead. After sucking down a glass of tap water, Leandros wandered into the bedroom to help Raz clean out the clutter right as she spoke. He snuck up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling their bodies close together as he kissed the side of her head. ”I didn’t think you’d take me seriously,” he said with a chuckle, ”But I’m glad you did. We’ll figure this out together.”

He pulled away and started helping her move some of the armor and parts around, a big smile plastered on his face. Even though he was terrified of major milestones like this, he couldn’t think of anyone else he’d want to do it with. It was every bit as exciting as it was nerve-wracking, and he wondered what the others would think once they saw him permanently settled in here, not that he particularly cared. The only thing that mattered to him was how Raz felt about it, and she seemed just as nervous as he was. He paused in his work and looked over at Raz, cocking his head slightly. ”Why’re you so nervous about this?” he asked bluntly. The two of them weren’t known for beating around the bush, so he didn’t see anything wrong with speaking his mind. That, and asking the question would help him overcome his own nerves about the whole deal.

 

[Raz Solus]

Raz was distracted from her thoughts when he came up behind her to hug her. It was a familiar feeling now, and one she had grown to love. She smiled, leaning into him as he kissed her, “Of course I took it seriously. It took a lot for you to put that out there,” She turned to face him, but he had already returned to helping around the room. Raz’s mind shifted back to the reality of everything happening, and she went back to being her distracted self.

When he asked her why she was nervous, she wasn’t entirely surprised. They were both blunt, and she knew he would see the look on her face. Her worry was that he would see it as her rejecting or not being comfortable with the idea of them moving in. Raz sighed and smiled at him, “I...I’m always suspicious when I’m this happy about something. I feel like something will come and kriff it up,” She stepped closer to him, grabbing him by the hand and tugging him closer to her.

“I’m afraid of how I love you a bit more every day and how devastated I would be if I ever lost you,” She gazed into his eyes for a long moment, “We both go on such dangerous missions all the time, and that will never change,” Raz smiled sheepishly. Perhaps part of what they loved about one another was their constant bravery that bordered on stupidity. She leaned in to kiss him, closing her eyes and savoring the moments before drawing back. Raz kept her arms around his neck.

“But you’ve always told me to stop being so down all the time, so I’m working on it,” She smiled and kissed him on the tip of his nose, “So, what should we do as first time...people that live together?”

 

[Leandros Solus]

Leandros continued to work even as he distracted Raz from her efforts for the moment, finding some kind of peace in sorting her belongings and making room for his own stuff. The thought of finally moving in with her thrilled him, which was evident from the smile on his face. He wore his heart on his sleeve around her. There was no need to throw up any barriers or maintain the dour and humorless demeanor that he had around the others when he was with her. Here, in the privacy of their home, he could simply be himself without any need to be a role model for his people. While Raz spoke, Leandros lifted a segment of armor and turned it over in his hands, tracing his fingers along the divots and scratches lining its surface, each mark telling a different story of a different battle. He set it off to the side, nodding along in agreement with her about what it took for him to suggest this idea. Back there in the shadows of that burned village, he thought he had lost Raz to the barely-contained ferocity and hate in her mind. The chances of his idea being taken seriously, in his mind, were slim, but worth a shot regardless. Now that they were finally together he was glad that he took that shot.

Once more, Raz expressed the doubts clouding her mind. Leandros straightened up right as she came over and clutched his hand, pulling the two of them close together again. The closeness of the couple – emotional and physical – warmed him both inside and out, and he smiled reassuringly at her. As she spoke, he simply kept that gentle grin on his face and listened, nodding along with her sentiments. ”Then stop worrying about losing me,” he chided, shaking his head, ”We’re both still here, and that’s all that matters.” He knew the hypocrisy of his statement; every time Raz went into battle, a kernel of fear plagued his mind and worried him about what would happen if it was finally the final battle. He’d never express that to her for fear of exacerbating her worries, but the thought always lingered.

Before Leandros could speak again, Raz leaned in and captured his lips with hers. He closed his eyes for the moment and cherished it, sighing contentedly when she pulled back and left her arms around his neck. His own hands naturally found themselves wrapped around her waist. He winked at her and couldn’t suppress his grin when she kissed the tip of his nose, looking around the bedroom idly as he thought about the answer to her question. ”It’s been a long day,” he said turning his focus back to Raz, ”And I think we’ve got enough stuff in here for the both of us to be fine. So, it’s time for some drinks.” He broke the connection between them by pulling back and tilting his head in the direction of the kitchen, taking Raz by the hand and pulling her along with him and away from the work of unpacking.

Leandros wandered out of the room and towards the fridge, opening up the freezer and taking out two bottles of liquor. He set them down on the counter and grabbed two glasses, placing them beside the bottles with a gentle clink. ”It’s been a hell of a while since we got drunk together,” he said to her, ”What better way to break in this milestone? That’s what people who live together do, right?”